Patrouille Suisse
Encyclopedia
The Patrouille Suisse is an aerobatic team
of the Swiss Air Force
. The team flies six Northrop F-5E Tiger II
fighter/bomber jets. The Patrouille Suisse was founded on 8 August 1964 as a part of the Swiss Air Force
. The name was taken from the name of the French Patrouille de France
.
The Patrouille Suisse started with four British Hawker Hunter Mk.58
s, beginning training for the EXPO 1964 exhibition in Lausanne and for the 1964 celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Swiss Airforce. 1965 was the first year in which they had a scheduled season. In 1970 the Patrouille Suisse acquired a fifth plane.
The performances remained confined to Switzerland due to its strict neutrality. This changed in 1978 when the team travelled to Salon-de-Provence by invitation of the French, with six aircraft. In 1991, the team changed the paint scheme to incorporate the Swiss flag colors (red and white) and the logo for the 700th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation.
In 1994 the Patrouille Suisse flew the Hawker Hunter Mk.58s for the last time before transferring to the faster and more maneuverable Northrop F-5E Tiger II
. In 1996 smoke systems were installed to increase the teams visual appeal.
Aerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment and sport...
of the Swiss Air Force
Swiss Air Force
The Swiss Air Force is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on July 31, 1914, as part of the Army and as of January 1966 an independent service.In peacetime, Dübendorf is the operational Air Force HQ...
. The team flies six Northrop F-5E Tiger II
F-5 Freedom Fighter
The Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and the F-5E/F Tiger II are part of a family of widely-used light supersonic fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop...
fighter/bomber jets. The Patrouille Suisse was founded on 8 August 1964 as a part of the Swiss Air Force
Swiss Air Force
The Swiss Air Force is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on July 31, 1914, as part of the Army and as of January 1966 an independent service.In peacetime, Dübendorf is the operational Air Force HQ...
. The name was taken from the name of the French Patrouille de France
Patrouille de France
The Patrouille Acrobatique de France , also known as the Patrouille de France or PAF, is the precision aerobatic demonstration team of the French Air Force. Originating in 1931, it is one of the world's oldest and most skilled demonstration teams...
.
The Patrouille Suisse started with four British Hawker Hunter Mk.58
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
s, beginning training for the EXPO 1964 exhibition in Lausanne and for the 1964 celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Swiss Airforce. 1965 was the first year in which they had a scheduled season. In 1970 the Patrouille Suisse acquired a fifth plane.
The performances remained confined to Switzerland due to its strict neutrality. This changed in 1978 when the team travelled to Salon-de-Provence by invitation of the French, with six aircraft. In 1991, the team changed the paint scheme to incorporate the Swiss flag colors (red and white) and the logo for the 700th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation.
In 1994 the Patrouille Suisse flew the Hawker Hunter Mk.58s for the last time before transferring to the faster and more maneuverable Northrop F-5E Tiger II
F-5 Freedom Fighter
The Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and the F-5E/F Tiger II are part of a family of widely-used light supersonic fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop...
. In 1996 smoke systems were installed to increase the teams visual appeal.
External links
- Official website In German, French and Italian only
- Pictures Patrouille Suisse